Rail anchor



Patented Oct. 20, 1953 RAIL ANCHOR Charles Hayes Marvin, Lancaster, Calif., assignor to The-stead Rail -Anchor Company Limited,

Montreal, Quebec, Ca

Canada nada, a corporation of Application July 17, 1950, Serial No. 174,334 12 claims. (c1. 23a-329) vThis invention relates to improvements in rail anchors of the so-called Stead type, dis- January 25, 1921, to Cooper and Steadworthy, the chief characteristic of which is a U-shaped body member having its arms each jawed to embrace one flange of a rail base, and a looped spring retaining member having the loop thereof compressed between the bottom of the body-engaged rail base ange and the bottom of the body and extending beneath the rail base into hooking engagement with the edge of the other base ange. Improved types of such an anchor are shown in Patents No. 1,682,370 of August 28, 1928, and No. 2,022,880 of December 3, 1935, both granted to F. W. Cooper; the earlier of these patents disclosing a special formation of the spring retaining member and the later a special formation of the body member, designed to make the anchor, in effect, a one piece article for purposes of transportation.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide` an anchor of the aforesaid type embodying the advantageous features thereof in combination with the additional feature that the body member has means for holding it to a rail base independently of the spring retaining member and capable of tightening the grip of the anchor on la rail to overcome the loosening effects of thrusting against a tie, of vibration and of pounding in ballast. A further object is to provide an anchor having a body member adapted to adjust itself to the slight variations sometimes found in rail base dimensions. A

still further object is to provide a structure in.

which the spring retaining member is protected throughout its entire length from contact with ballast and consequent damage or loosening. Various other objects and the advantages of the invention may be ascertained from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Broadly speaking, the invention consists in a rail anchor having a body member of U-form, the arms of which are notched or jawed to embraceone flange of. a rail base, said body having an integral extension or arm. adapted to project to and hookingly engage the edge of the other rail base ange, the. jaws of said member and the arm being so formed that in process of application of the body to a rail, the arm thereof is downwardly exed and in service thrusts upwardly to maintain its hooking engagement with the rail base also tending to draw the jaws always into tighter engagement with the base flange;` in combinaion with a looped spring retaining member having the loop thereof adapted to Abe compressed between the bottom of a rail 1 base and the bottom ofthe body member, said f arm.

In greater detail the invention consists in the features and combinations of features herein disclosed, together with all such modifications thereof and substitutions of equivalents therefor as are within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention but to the details of which the invention is not limited;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the anchor in position on a rail base.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the anchor, looking transversely of the rail, from the left hand end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hooked end of the anchor body. Y

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the application of the anchor to a rail. Referring more particularly to the drawings, II designates a railroad rail having the usual base anges I2 and I3 while I4 designates a tie supporting the rail and I5 a tie plate interposed between the tie and rail.

The anchor comprises a body member I6 and a spring retaining member I1.

The body member I6 is U-shaped and comprises spaced parallelV arms I8 and a connecting web I9. Each arm is notched at 20 for embracing engagement with a rail base ange, the notches forming upper and lower jaws and being so disposed that when engaged with one rail base flange the web I9 will be supported in a plane inclining upwardly toward the other base flange. The notch edges converge slightly lessl than the upper and lower surfaces of the rail base flange so that when the body is tightly engaged with the base flange the grip `of the upper jaws on the flange is as far as possible lfrom the ange edge and the bottoms of the notches are spaced from the edge of the rail base. The arms I8 between the notches and web are slightly oset toward one another as best shown at 2| in Fig. 2, the line of offset being approximately parallel with the lower edges of the notches, as shown in Fig. l and the central part of the web I9, at the outer edge thereof may be upwardly displaced, as at 22, al1 for the purposes set out in the said Patent The body I6 includes `an integral extension or arm 23 which is essentially a continuation of the web I9 and arms I8 and is adapted to project transversely of a rail beneath the same. The arm 23 lies in a plane so inclined with respect to the plane of that part of the web I9 between the arms I8 that when the anchor is in position on a rail the arm will be nearer parallelism with the bottom of rail base than is the said part of the web I9. Also, the arm 23 will be spaced substantially below a rail base so that, in conjunction with the U-shaped body part, the bodymember may have engagement with a tie from a point outside a rail to a, p oint inside the rail and extending to an effective depth. The longitudinal edges of the arm 23 may be provided with flanges 24 of any suitable.V depth which will not unduly stilen the arm, these anges being in the same planes as the lower parts of the arms. I8, so as to continue the tie engaging surfaces of the arms across the entire width of a rail. 'I he outer end of the arm 23 is provided with a pair of upstanding hooks 25 disposed in the same planes as* the lower parts of the arms I8 and having inner, rail engaging edges 2S which will be, in general, inclined slightly to the vertical side edge surface of a rail base flange; the inclination being outward from the bottom to top. These edges are formed with steps or teeth 21 designed to have, non-slipping engagement with the lower corner portion of a rail base flange and to provide a plurality of rail gripping portions located, from top to bottom of the hook, at progressively shorter distances from the bottom of the body notches.

'Ihe spring retaining member I1 comprises a bar bent upon itself to form a long upper arm 21 and a short lower arm 28 denning a pearshaped normally open loop: 29.The free end portion of the long arm is reversely bent to form a hook 30, adapted to engageA an edge of the rail base. The intermediate portion 3I of the long arm is reversely bent so as to be spaced from the bottom of a rail base when the looped end and the hooked end of the arm, engage the rail base. The free end 32 of 'the short arm is turned toward the long arm. and is adapted, on compression of the loop, to. engage the reversely bent portion 3| of the long arm about the middle thereof.

The members I6 and I1 are factory assembled in substantially the. relative positions shown in Fig. 4 with the retaining member to the left of its final position, as seen in Fig. 4, and the upper part of the loop tightly engaged between the body arms at or above the offsets 2| thereof and the loop slightly compressed between the web I9 and the offsets 2|... The extending portion of the long arm 21 overliesI the arm 23 with the back of the hook 3U preferably resting on the arm 23 so as to position the tip of` the hook 30l below the plane of the lower edgesv of the notches.

20, thus to avoid interference with upward movement of the body hooks 2.5 in the final positioning of the body on a` rail.

l In the applicationof the assembly to a rail, the hooked end is passed under the rail and the edge portion of oneV base flange engaged. in the notches 2Il of the body arms. The tips of the upper jaws slide up the inclined surface of the base flange and the lower jaws engage the lower edge of the rail base. so that advance of the. body' causes an upswinging of itsl hooked end until the tips of the hooks 25 engage the lower surface. of the rail base and arrest the swinging movement. In this position, .illustrated in Fig.; 4,

the anchor is lightly jammed on the rail. The body is now forced further onto the rail, by horizontal pressure against the outer edges of the body arms at about the level of and toward the rail base; the pressure being most conveniently applied by means of hammer blows. As the upswinging tendency of the body arm 23 is prevented by engagement of the hooks 25 with the bottom of the rail base, continued advance of the anchor results in a downward flexion of the arm until, when the hooks 25 pass the edge of the rail base, the arm tends to resume its original form and the hooks snap up outside the rail base edge and hold the body against retreat. The relation of the arm 23 to the notches 2Ilis such that in the uppermost position of the hook, relatively to a rail base, there is considerable residual tension in the arm 23 with upthrusting effect at its hooked end tending to maintain the hooks against working down and against being accidentally thrust down. It will thus be seen the body can maintain itself on a rail independently of the retaining member. wards into contact with the under surface y When theV body is in position on a rail,l the retaining member is driven in over the'inclined web I9 of the body and is thereby forced up Wards into contact with the under surface of the rail base, the open loop 28 being compressed until it closes and the tip 32 of the short arm presses upwards against the long arm. In this movement of the member I1 there is a loro.` nounced upward swinging tendency in the arm 21 which is resisted by engagement of the hook 36 with the under surface of the rail base, so that the long arm isY flexed downwards-from its normal relation to the loop. When the inember is sufficiently advanced the hook 38' clears the rail base and snaps. up` against the edge thereof, thus holding the member against retreat. In its nal position there is considerable residual tension in the arm 21 which holds the hook 38] up in rail edge engaging position.

The expansive effect of. the loop 29 acting against the inclined web I9 tends to urge the body jaws into closer engagement with the rail base flange so as to maintain an anti-creeping grip on the rail. Any tendency to working of the body on a rail, which wouldk relax its grip,r is thus taken up by the action of the. retaining member and, any consequentI shifting of the body in a tightening direction is accompanied by a rise of the hooksj25 under the.` tension of the body arm 23 to take a fresh grip on the rail edge and hold the body member against retreat; It will thus be seen that any tendency to working of the anchor. on the rail due to vibration or to thrusting against a tie serves only to tighten the grip of the anchor on a rail. In addition to the aforesaid function,` the` toothed or stepped form.- ofthe hook edges will serve. to adapt; the. anchor to small variations in rail base dimensions such as; are found' in rails normally of the. same dimensions.

' The body arm 23 underlies thespring arm 21 and protects it against` dama-ge by. and against the loosening eiect of, pounding in frozen ballast.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A, rail anchor comprising Aa jawed mem-ber to grippingly embrace one; flange of a rail base, having an integral under-rail extension terminating in an upwardly extending hook adapted to engage the; other ange of the rail base, the rail, engaging edge of said hook being in general inclined from,

bottom to top outwardlygof the; rail baseedge and formed with steps or teeth providing a plurality of rail engaging portions located, from top to bottom, at progressively shorter distances from the rail gripping points of said jawed member; the said extension being normally in such relation to the jaws that in process 0f application t0 a rail the extension is downwardly flexed and thereby tensioned and when fully applied to a rail exerts upward thrusting effect to maintain engagement of the hook with a rail base edge, andtending'to tighten the grip of the hook in the event of Working of the anchor on a rail.

2. A rail anchor comprising a jawed member to grippingly engage one flange of a rail base including an inclined seat and an under-rail extension upwardly hooked at its free end to engage the edge of the other rail base flange, said extension having, in the applied state of the anchor, upthrusting effect adapted to maintain its hooked end in engagement with a rail base edge; and a separate retaining member having a spring loop adapted to be compressed between said seat and the under surface of said first named rail base flange, and an under-rail extension upwardly hooked at its free end for engagement with the edge of said other rail base flange.

3. A rail anchor comprising -a U-shaped body member including a web portion to be inclined transversely of a rail and a pair of spaced arms each jawed to grippingly engage one flange of a rail base; an under-rail extension of said web integral with the web; upstanding flanges along at least part of the length of each edge of the extension; and a hook upstanding` from each edge of said extension, at the free end thereof, adapted to eng-age the edge portion of the other rail base ange; the lower portion of the body arm, the extension flange and the hook, on each side of the body being in a single plane and adapted to constitute a tie abutting surface.

4. A rail anchor comprising a U-shaped body member including a web portion and arms at opposite edges of said web portion each jawed to grippingly engage one flange of a rail base and to support the web beneath the rail base; an integra] extension from said web projecting to and upwardly hooked for engagement with the edge of the other rail base flange; and a spring retaining member adapted at one end to hookingly engage said web and at the other end to hookingly engage the edge portion of said other rail base ange and to be tensioned with effect of maintaining a transverse grip of the anchor on the rail; said retaining member being in the applied position of the anchor, disposed entirely between the rail above it and the web and web extension beneath it and thereby protected from fiexion by external means, such as might relieve its tension and rail gripping effect.

5. A rail anchor comprising a body member jawed at one end to grippingly embrace one flange of a rail base and hooked at the other end to grippingly engage the edge portion of the other rail base flange, said member being, when on a rail, flexed with upthrusting effect at its hooked end tending to maintain and tighten its grip on both flanges of the rail base; and a spring member tensioned between said body member and the edge portion of said other rail base flange with effect of constantly urging vthe body member transversely of the rail in a direction to tighten its gripping embracement of said first named rail base flange whereby the upthrusting hooked end of the body may shift its grip on the rail base edge to take up any movement of the body imreverse movement of the body.

6. A rail anchor comprising a jawed memberl adapted to grippingly embrace one iiange of a rail base and including a retaining member seat to be disposed beneath the rail base; a spring retaining member engaged at one end with said seat and hooked at the other end for engagement with the edge of the other rail base flange; and an extension from said seat underlying said retaining member from the inner end of said seat to the opposite edge of the rail base and serving to protect the retaining member against damage or disturbance due to pounding in track ballast.

7. A rail anchor according to claim 6 in which the free end of the seat extension is formed with upwardly extending hook means shrouding and protecting the hook portion of the retaining member.

8. A rail anchor comprising a U-shaped body member including a web portion and a pair of spaced arms integral therewith providing pairs of jaws to grippingly embrace one ange of a rail base at locations spaced longitudinally of the rail; an under-rail extension of said web, integral with the web; and hooks upstanding from the side edges of said extension, at the free end thereof, formed to engage the edge portion of the other rail base flange at locations spaced longitudinally of the rail; the said extension having capacity to be downwardly flexed in process of application to a rail and to exert upward thrusting pressure to maintain said hooks in engagement with the rail base edge portion.

9. A rail anchor comprising a U-shaped body member including a web portion and a pair of spaced arms integral with the web providing pairs of jaws to grippingly embrace one flange of a rail base at locations spaced longitudinally of the rail; an under-rail extension of said web, integral with the web; hook means upstanding from the free end of saidextension substantially in the planes of the arms, formed to engage the edge portion of the other rail base flange; the said extension having capacity to be downwardly flexed in process of application to a rail and to exert upward thrusting pressure to maintain said hooks means in engagement with the rail base edge portion.

10. An anchor according to claim 9 in which the rail engaging, surface of said hook means is formed to provide a series of rail engaging steps or teeth, each of which, below the uppermost, is located nearer the jawed end of the body than the step or tooth immediately above it.

11. A rail anchor comprising a body member jawed at one end to embracingly and grippingly engage one flange of a rail base and including an integral portion to extend transversely of a rail, beneath the base thereof, and terminating in an upstanding hook portion formed to engage the edge portion of the other rail base ange, the rail engaging surface of said hook portion being formed to provide a series of rail engaging steps or teeth, each of which is located nearer the jawed end of the body than the step or tooth immediately above it; said transversely extending portion of the body having capacity to be downwardly flexed in process of applying the anchor to a rail and to exert upthrusting pressure tending to maintain the hook portion in engagement with a rail; and a spring member formed at one end to enga-ge with hooking effect a portion of said transversely extending member adjacent the jawed portion of the body and at the other aereas? ,y end being formed with a hook :to .engage the @edge portion of the other rail base flange; said spring member having capacity to be tensioned Vbetween the Ibody member `and the rail in process =of applying the anchor to a rail and .to exert pressure on said body member transversely of :a rail ina direction to urge the body jaws :into iclose .embracing engagement With a rail.

12. A rail anchor comprising a tie abut-ting member jawed for gripping engagement with the upper and lower surfaces ef rone flange .of a -rail base and an integral under-rail extension from said member terminating in an upwardly extending hook formed to engage the edge ofthe .other rail base iange to maintain the jawed portion in gripping engagement with Va rail; said hook having a rail vbase engaging surface Ywhich will 8 be, when the anchor is inoperative position on a rail, inclined from bottom to top outwardly of the rail base; said extension being, in the applied state of the anchor, downwardly flexed and thereby tensioned and exerting upward Vthrust of its lhooked end tending -to tighten the grip of the anchor.

C. HAYES MARVIN.

References Cited .in the le of this .patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,739,004 Konold Dec. 10, 1929 1,744,306 Gillespie Jan. 21, 1930 1,802,895 Hoiman Apr. 28y 1931 2,268,327 Thomann Dec. 30, 1941 

